Screenshots courtesy Wisconsin Film Fest
A collage of still from the Wisconsin Film Fest.
The Wisconsin Film Festival always showcases a variety of films from experimental to animation to popular movies, but perhaps the heart of the fest is its Wisconsin’s Own programming. These films can’t be pigeonholed; their ties to Wisconsin can vary from the director having gone to school here to the subject matter being near and dear to the state’s culture.
This year, 149 films were submitted to be Wisconsin’s Own picks; 39 were accepted. They range from a feature-length documentary about the Dalai Lama visiting the Dairy State to a comic short about a bunch of bros undergoing a juice cleanse. In addition to several standalone feature films, five screenings gather like-minded short films for “Wisconsin’s Own Experimental Shorts” (experimental), “Wisconsin’s Own Gone Wild” (comedies, mostly), “Wisconsin’s Own Portraits” (profile-style documentaries), Wisconsin’s Own Short Stories (narrative), and “Wisconsin’s Own Fire, Water, Stickball and Dinosaurs” (nature and the environment). Often the films achieve great things on a shoestring budget. Here we take a closer look at six of Wisconsin’s Own.
'Once a Mormon' questions barriers, looks for purpose
'The Dalai Lama's Gift' documents a groundbreaking visit
‘Gigiigemin Baaga’adoweyang’ tells how the Bad River community reclaimed a piece of its culture
‘A Road at Night’ is not about basketball. It’s about drunk driving
'No Packers, No Life’ profiles a special if unlikely alliance
‘Relationship to Patient’ explores illness and relationships
